Ears?

[Moo]

Wasn't really sure where to best put this as it's not really a "health" question, but how do greys sometimes get (permanent) pointy ears? I can't imagine they're being cropped by racing breeders and owners since what's the point? I'm very much against cropping but the pointy ears are so cute! I've also seen a few flop varieties, like some whose ears will flop forward in quite an elegant way, bit like puppy ears. I'm guessing they just fall like that? 

[BatterseaBrindl]

Their ears are NOT cropped!!

Do you mean the tip is more pointed vs a more round tip?  
Or some Greys ears stay standing up vs others that just flop around?

 

 

[Trudy]

Greyhound ears have a mind of their own. Some more so than others.

Jet would hold hers straight up or folded together toward the middle on top of her head, or one up and one out, both out, both forward, one forward and one some other direction. Girl had all the ear positions.

Ryan's ears were much less "flexible" and his were mostly out to the side, sometimes up.

[palmettobug]

I've found that the ones who have "pointier" ears have thicker ears--G's ears are noticebly thicker than Roman's, he can point his straight up, while Roman's kind of just wave in the breeze if he tries it. Fuzzy is in the middle, can point both straight, but usually right ear up, left bent.

[MandysMom]

My angel Mandy, pictured in my signature, had ears that stood up permanently. I actually had a woman stop her car, get out, and scream at me about animal abuse. I assumed she was screaming about racing, but she eventually got to ear cutting. I explained that Mandy's ears were that way naturally, but she wouldn't believe me. In the seven years she lived with me, I never saw her ears in any other position.

 

[MerseyGrey]

I don’t know the answer to this. It just seems that some have ears that are upright (erect?) more than others. Ears do for Buddy what eyebrows do for me - they seem to convey what he is thinking and feeling very well. He would never do well in that famous painting of dogs playing poker 

[Moo]

8 hours ago, palmettobug said:

I've found that the ones who have "pointier" ears have thicker ears--G's ears are noticebly thicker than Roman's, he can point his straight up, while Roman's kind of just wave in the breeze if he tries it. Fuzzy is in the middle, can point both straight, but usually right ear up, left bent.

Interesting! That'd certainly explain it. My boy's are very flippy floppy so I couldn't picture how other greys could make them stick up full time. I've been curious about it since seeing a gorgeous goofy looking boy on a greyhound rescue page and have been experimenting with folding my boy's in different ways to see if they'll stay up. Good job I have patient dog. 

[palmettobug]

Earigami! And, yes, they do talk with those ears.

Beverly, that woman is a world class dum-dum. 

[HeyRunDog]

Grace has very expressive ears that seem to move independently of each other. She'll often get up from her bed with one of them inside out which is followed by a quick bout of head shaking to correct it causing a few droplets spittle to fly across the room often landing on the TV screen

[EllenEveBaz]

Jeter's were almost always folded flat against his head.  Only occasions that merited an "ears up" were squirrel sightings and my arrivals and departures.  I felt honored to get the two-ear salute.  

[MandysMom]

17 hours ago, palmettobug said:

Beverly, that woman is a world class dum-dum. 

Yes, ma'am. I almost hurt my eyes rolling them after she got back in her car and sped away.

[greysmom]

Yes, it has to do with how thick and/or flexible their ear cartilage is, which is an outcome of genetics.

I had a black greyhound that people *constantly* thought was a doberman because his ears were stand-up and not folded!